| University College Ghent | |
|---|---|
| Hogeschool Gent | |
| Established | 1995 |
| Type | Autonomous university college |
| Endowment | € 105.6 mln |
| President | Frans Verheeke |
| Principal | Bert Hoogewijs |
| Admin. staff | +/- 2,000 |
| Students | +/- 16,000 |
| Location | Ghent, Belgium |
| Campus | Urban |
| Nickname | HoGent |
| Affiliations | Ghent University Association |
| Website | www.hogent.be |
With thirteen faculties[1] and 16,000 students,[2] University College Ghent is currently the largest university college in Flanders. Its establishment in 1995 is the outcome of two successful mergers that involved sixteen Belgian institutions of higher education. Many had been influential leaders in higher education for several decades. The current thirteen faculties are spread over the city center of Ghent and Aalst.
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University College Ghent strives to excel in education, research, service provision and practice of the arts. Through the expertise of its staff and graduates and the valorisation of its research, University College Ghent is making a valuable contribution to a critical, creative and open society.
University College Ghent is one of the 22 university colleges in Flanders. It was founded in 1995 when thirteen institutes of higher education merged. In 2001, a second merger took place to form University College Ghent as we know it today.[3] In 2003, University College Ghent became part of the Ghent University Association, a cooperative body of universities and university colleges.[4]
The governing bodies of University College Ghent are the Board of Governors, the President, the Executive Board, the Principal and his central administration, the Deans and the Faculty Councils.
University College Ghent consists of thirteen faculties. Each faculty is led by a dean, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of his or her faculty.
University College Ghent is a modern urban university college conveniently located throughout the city of Ghent. There are also campuses in the neighbouring cities of Aalst and Melle.
Student facilities include libraries, concert halls, learning centres, research and study centres, a 3,000 m² sports centre and much more.[5] Additionally, University College Ghent offers its students a complete range of student services, from housing and catering to student jobs, cultural events and medical assistance. All these services are centrally organized by the non-profit organization Sovoreg.
In an institute of higher education, the link with the labour market is never far. That is why University College Ghent tries to make that transition as easy as possible for its students. A comprehensive alumni organisation and vacancy database ensures that alumni are guided in the process.
University College Ghent offers 22 professional bachelor programmes, 14 academic bachelor programmes and 24 master programmes in the following fields of study:
Five of the study programmes are taught exclusively in English. These programmes are specifically organized for foreign exchange students, but they are also open to Belgian students.
Furthermore, University College Ghent also offers a wide variety of follow-up programmes. On its English website, the intitute provides an up-to-date list of the study programmes.
Besides focusing on education, University College Ghent also continues to stress the importance of research and service provision. The multi-sector learning environment has a strong research tradition and boasts a number of research groups whose excellence is recognized internationally.
Currently, nearly 414 researchers are actively involved in more than 110 research projects.[6] Over the years, University College Ghent has built up expertise in a great number of study fields, making it an ideal partner for businesses worldwide. Cooperation with external partners is a key requirement in an evermore global environment . With its growing number of partnerships and increasing student enrolments, University College Ghent is anticipating this trend.
Both education and research at University College Ghent is practice-based. As a consequence, University College Ghent possesses considerable know-how and expertise, which can be applied for the benefit of society and science in general. At University College Ghent, small and medium-sized corporations can buy training and know-how. It is a knowledge centre that strives to produce and implement its knowledge within the region.
In 2008, University College Ghent’s research funds totalled thirteen million euros, an increase of two million euros on the previous year.[6]
University College Ghent cooperates with European and international organizations and universities in order to keep abreast of continuing international developments and activities within a multicultural context. Its policy is directed towards acquiring, transferring and valorizing new knowledge and competencies.
The mission of University College Ghent is reflected in its student mobility, its guaranteed transparent use of ECTS, the stimulation of active staff mobility, the support of international educational projects and international institutional cooperation through internationalization of curricula and internationalization at home.
Within the framework of the EU programmes, University College Ghent students get the opportunity to study or to undertake a work placement at a partner institution. Complementary study at one of its partner institutions is also encouraged and developed.
Each University College Ghent faculty has cooperation agreements with a number of partner institutions, amounting to no less than 250 bilateral agreements with institutions from 26 European countries.
Two faculties at University College Ghent are specifically focused on practice of the arts: the faculty of Music & Drama and the faculty of Fine Arts. The Fine Arts department encompasses the former institution, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Ghent), founded in 1741 and merged into the university in 1995. Concerts and exhibitions are considered an essential part of the educational experience and are organized throughout the academic year.
The Royal Conservatory of Music ("Koninklijk Conservatorium") was one of the sixteen cultural institution merged into the University in 1995, with a history and heritage in its own right. The founding director was Martin-Joseph Mengal, in 1835. Notable students and faculty at the conservatory have included François-Auguste Gevaert, who studied directly under Mengal in 1841, Paul-Henri-Joseph Lebrun, who studied here and became a professor, and Edouard Potjes, who served as professor of piano for 22 years.
The current department head of the Royal Conservatory of Ghent is Maarten Weyler.
At the Faculty of Music and Drama, the art library will be moved and expanded in the course of 2009-2010. This is a very important step in the creation of a stimulating working environment for both artists and art students. Moreover, in 2010, University College Ghent will have a new and professional exhibition infrastructure for artistic productions.
A Prior is an international magazine for contemporary art, published by the Faculty of Fine Arts. It is one of the media through which the activities and research at the Faculty of Fine Arts are communicated.